Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting by the Baroque artist Wang Li Mu. It dates from 1749 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a solitary male figure, identified in the catalog as a man. Rendered in ink and color on silk, the work is catalogued in the landscape genre and was created in 1749. No additional iconographic attributes or symbolic narrative are documented; the depiction remains a straightforward representation of a male subject within the composition.
Technique & Style
The handling emphasizes delicate brushwork and subtle tonal modulation to define form and space, with the silk's sheen subtly animating the composition.
The work is rendered as an album leaf using ink and color on silk, a combination typical of eighteenth-century scholar-painting practice in China. The handling emphasizes delicate brushwork and subtle tonal modulation to define form and space, with the silk's sheen subtly animating the composition. Stylistically, the piece aligns with orthodox court taste of the Qianlong era, favoring restrained composition and refined detail over dramatic effect.
The measured dimensions, 34.3 cm in height and 30.2 cm in width, indicate a compact format suited to intimate viewing and album presentation.
History & Provenance
Untitled is an ink-and-color painting on silk dated 1749 and attributed to Wang Li Mu. It is catalogued in the Metropolitan Museum of Art under accession number 15.97.7 and entered the museum's holdings in 1915 as part of the institution's early acquisitions of Chinese painting, with no intervening private owners documented in the museum's records. No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Created in 1749, this album leaf by Wang Li Mu presents a solitary figure in a natural setting. Rendered on silk with ink and color, the composition centers on a man in a long robe standing beneath a pine, his posture accentuated by a held scroll, while birds occupy the sparse branches above and a small dog peeks from his feet.
Context
During the Joseon dynasty, album leaves served as vehicles for scholars and artists to record observations of daily life and nature. This piece aligns with that tradition, focusing on an ordinary scene rendered with refined technique, illustrating the era’s aesthetic preference for modest, personal expression.
Artist & collection
Artist
Wang Li Mu painted delicate album leaves on silk in the 18th century, using ink and color to capture small, quiet moments.
